No Rest for the Nerdy – Vol. 38

We never stop playing video games. That’s a fact. Even after we call it quits for the week we still look forward to getting home and continuing our digital conquests. It’s our life blood. So we thought it would be fun to share with everyone what our gaming intentions are for the weekend so you guys can get a sense of what we're playing and enjoying on a weekly, non-formal basis. Yes, this concept isn't new to the internet. But hey, we kind of want to join in on the fun. Can you blame us for that? So without further ado, here’s what we’re playing this weekend that will forfeit any semblance of rest…

Please feel free to sound off below to let us know what your gaming plans are this weekend.

Mike White: In a search for something a little different this week I headed over to Good Old Games’ website. I haven’t played an old school RPG in a long time and felt it was passed due. I settled on Baldur’s Gate 2 from BioWare, released a little over a decade ago. If I can muscle through the graphics and controls, I’m expecting an enjoyable experience from a highly rated game.

Once I’ve had my fill of traditional role-playing, it’s back to the MMO variety. A few friends are making their way back to Rift after the latest patch brought new content, veteran rewards and recruitment perks. The combination is too good to pass up so I’ll be dusting off a mid-level alt to grind a few levels out with some old in-game buddies. From what I’ve seen already, Trion’s efforts to encourage all level 50 players (even the most geared) to participate in zone events has paid off. Areas like Stillmoor and Iron Pine Peak aren’t as empty anymore compared to a month ago.

Other game companies should take note. Adding end-game content is a balancing act. New raid content will keep only a small population of gamers fully occupied.

Erik Norris: While I have both Dark Souls and RAGE sitting on my shelf ready to be played, I’m finding myself in the mood to fire up this year’s NBA 2K12 for some basketball action this weekend. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a Larry Bird short shorts showcase. I don’t watch much NBA anymore, but I used to be a diehard fan when I was a kid, back when Jordan, Bird, Magic and the rest of the Dream Team-era players were lacing up and hitting the hardwood. That’s why NBA 2K12’s “NBA Greatest” mode is speaking directly to me and calling my name, telling me to relive the golden era of basketball.

Outside NBA 2K12, Dance Central 2 arrived on my doorstep today. Now I just need to go grab myself a Kinect sensor and I’ll be in business, cutting up a mean rug in my living room. Make no mistake, this white boy has moves. Promise. Therefore, I’ll happily be busting open Dance Central 2 to give it a spin (and shake) for review purposes.

And if there’s still time on Sunday between all the football watching, I’ll be diving into RAGE. As long as I can fit it in before the Breaking Bad season finale, that is.

Joey Davidson: While I wait for a few more review copies to show up, I’m going to take time to finish my current docket of games. I’ll be trying to wrap up the campaign for RAGE, with the hopes that I’ll be able to get my full review up next week.

At the same time, I’ll be putting FIFA 12 through its final paces. I’ve been with the game for roughly a week, given the late arrival of our review copy, and hope to have it scored and covered next week as well.

For personal pleasure, I’ve finally beat the campaign for Gears of War 3 and hope to step into the worlds of Horde and Beast Mode. Horde Mode is an old staple these days, and Epic went ahead and created one of this generation’s greatest and most copied game types. Beast Mode, on the other hand, feels like it was ripped out of Left 4 Dead. How long it will stick and how much I’ll enjoy it remains to be seen.

Also, Portal 2 co-op needs to happen.

Paul Tamburro: I have a wedding to attend first thing tomorrow morning, which means that my Friday night will be spent in depressing sobriety. Fortunately, NBA On Fire Edition was recently released on XBLA, and although my knowledge of basketball is limited to Space Jam, ever since I stumbled upon the Honey Badgers trailer I’ve had a hankering to shoot me some hoops.

If that doesn’t manage to grasp my incredibly short attention span, I will revert back to the Virtual Pro season of FIFA 12. “Tamudo”, as the commentator’s refer to him as, has a level 74 player rating at this moment in time and appears to play with two right feet. Unfortunately, he is left footed.

I may also take Gears of War 3 for another spin. I have tried to round up some friends to play through the campaign in co-op, but they all balked at the idea of trying to take down the Locust horde in a single sitting. Looks like we’ll have to revert back Horde mode, then. Not that I’m complaining.

Alex Keen: Things have been crazy hectic around the house and I’m not 100% sure what I’ll be into. I have plenty of Gears of War 3 co-op to play but doesn’t that feel like old news by now? I definitely don’t think I’ll be diving into multiplayer, but Horde and Beast mode show a ton of promise. Maybe Joey and I will see the stars align and we’ll play some Portal 2 co-op or Gears. From the looks of our schedules these days, it ain’t likely.

The game that I know I’ll be playing is Fruit Ninja Kinect. What was at first just a curiosity is now a full-blown workout. Since I’ve started to really understand how to best take advantage of the Kinect’s sensitivity, game experiences have become much more enjoyable.

Oh yeah, and not game related at all, but I plan on having some ice cream this weekend to celebrate my birthday. Who needs strip clubs and alcohol when the ice cream place down the street makes their own bacon ice cream. Word to that!